Intelligent control is important to managing computing systems and networks. Analytics and feedback may be employed to achieve multiple objectives by optimal scheduling and resource allocation, such as adjusting scheduling priorities, memory allocations, and network bandwidth allocations. Control theory encompasses a large body of practical, system-control-design principles and provides a systematic approach to designing closed loop systems that are stable in that they avoid wild oscillations, are accurate in that they achieve the desired outputs, and settle quickly to steady state values. Control theory is a branch of theoretical and applied mathematics and is employed in the design of many aspects of computing. Additionally, control theory is employed to analyze and design feedback loops in mechanical, electrical, aeronautical, and other engineering disciplines. As such, control theory has had a profound impact on the design and development of a large number of systems and technologies, from airplanes, spacecraft, and other vehicle and transportation systems to computer systems, industrial manufacturing and operations facilities, machine tools, process machinery, and consumer devices.
Together with inputs from human-machine interfaces, intelligent controls can analyze human preferences and behaviors to provide solutions tailored to each individual. Often an intelligent controller is tasked with controlling a single device or system under stringent constraints to achieve conflicting goals. Designers, manufacturers, and users of intelligent controls have been seeking solutions that effectively control systems while also coordinating with each other to enable better resource sharing and coordination.